Conservative Broadcasters Misuse Holocaust Rhetoric in Pursuit of Kerry

Washington, DC: The Washington Post today reported that Sinclair Broadcast Group, "owner of the largest chain of television stations in the nation, plans to preempt regular programming two weeks before the Nov. 2 election to air a documentary" attacking Senator Kerry's war record. Sinclair vice president Mark Hyman told the Post that "the networks are acting like Holocaust deniers" for rejecting the one-sided film. The Post adds that "Sinclair's top executives, including members of the controlling Smith family, have been strong financial supporters of Bush's campaign."

"It is unconscionable that such top Bush financial backers as the leaders of the Sinclair group would resort to such offensive misuse of the rhetoric and the memory of the Holocaust in pursuing their attacks on John Kerry," said National Jewish Democratic Council Executive Director Ira N. Forman. "But the fact is that conservative Republicans have a problem with repeatedly resorting to completely inappropriate Holocaust language. White House insider Grover Norquist compared the estate tax to the Holocaust during an NPR interview last October; conservative radio talk show host Dr. Laura Schlessinger compared professional day-care practices in America to ‘something out of Nazi Germany' in January; and conservative New York Post columnist Ralph Peters wrote a column around the same time which -- in the words of the Anti-Defamation League -- ‘made repeated references to Nazis, the Gestapo and 'Hitler's Brownshirts' to describe the strategies of Democratic presidential hopeful Dr. Howard Dean and his campaign.' And the list goes on and on.

"Such inappropriate use of Holocaust rhetoric by leading conservatives has got to stop once and for all," Forman added. "Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie and other RNC officials have said they would condemn such hate speech coming from the right, and yet they refuse to utter a word. The time has come for Mr. Gillespie to speak up."

For the complete story in today's Washington Post, click here.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

Let the Sinclair Broadcast Group know that you're watching, and you're not happy with their decisions or their rhetoric.

* WRITE TO THE SINCLAIR BROADCAST GROUP to let them know what you think. Send e-mail to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) ; or send letters to Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc., 10706 Beaver Dam Road, Hunt Valley, Maryland, 21030; or fax them to 410-568-1533.
Also let RNC Chairman Gillespie know that you're watching -- and that you're ready to hear him condemn key leaders of the conservative movement for their abuse of the memory of the Holocaust.

* WRITE TO MR. GILLESPIE to let him know what you think. Send letters to Chairman Gillespie, Republican National Committee, 310 First Street, SE, Washington, DC 20003; or fax them to 202-863-8774; or e-mail them to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) .

* WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR of your local newspaper and discuss what you think of the hypocrisy of key conservative leaders on this issue.